Purpose This study aimed to discover the precise material composition and thickness (water hyacinth, rice straw, and banana pseudostem) of organic mulch sheet. Methods This current research was conducted by means of a number of treatments with various material compositions and thickness of organic mulch sheet. Several tests were administered such as chemical analyses on organic mulch sheet, tensile strength, and Vilensky test. Result Various compositions of materials resulted in various chemical analyses of organic mulch sheet. Organic mulch with the strongest tensile strength was during the treatment of 60% water hyacinth, 20% rice straw, and 20% banana pseudostem, reaching 3.28 N/m 2 . The highest sunlight intensity of mulch composition was during the treatment of M4 (50% water hyacinth, 40% rice straw, and 10% banana pseudostem) with no hole and absorbing. Conclusion The result showed that water hyacinth, rice straw, and banana pseudostem could be used as the materials for organic mulch sheets. They could add organic matters into the soil, have endurance and strength to apply as mulch in crop cultivation, as well as help plants adapt to climate change.
Mulch in vegetable crops will provide a good growing environment for plants because it can reduce evaporation, prevent direct exposure to excessive sunlight to land, and maintain soil humidity for the plant to absorb water and nutrients optimally. The use of plastic mulch, especially silver, black plastic mulch in vegetable production with high economic value, is continuously increasing in line with the increasing needs and consumers’ demand for vegetable products. Various studies have shown that mulch can increase crop yields, improve crop quality, and ultimately improve farming efficiency. This study aimed to determine the relationship between microclimate and potato growth due to the use of different mulch types. The research method uses an experimental design using a random group design. The study was conducted in the District of Bumiaji, Batu city, East Java, Indonesia. Observations were made for climate components, namely air temperature, soil temperature, the radiation received by a crop canopy, and reflected radiation by the soil's surface. Simultaneously, the measured growth variables were the plant's height, the number of leaves, the leaves' width, stem diameter, and the stover's dry weight. This study showed that silver-black-plastic mulch provides the highest growth of potato compared to other treatments. The use of silver-black plastic mulch lowers the soil's temperature, maintains soil moisture, and increases the PAR above the plant canopy.
Plastic mulch, mainly used in chili cultivation, is less environmentally friendly due to its non-biodegradable characteristic. An alternative biodegradable mulch is needed to support growth and produce a desirable yield. Organic mulch sheet (OMS) is a promising alternative because it is made from natural fiber which is abundant and renewable organic material. This study aimed to understand the effect of organic mulch sheet (OMS) application on the growth and yield of chili (Capsicum annum L.). This research was carried out using a simple randomized complete block design with one control (black-silver plastic mulch) labeled as M0 and seven treatments (OMS compositions namely percentage of water hyacinth and banana stalk) labeled as M1 (80:20), M2 (70:30), M3 (60:40), M4 (50:50), M5 (40:60), M6 (30:70), and M7 (20:80). Mulch application significantly affected growth (plant height and number of leaves) and yield (fruit weight per fruit and fruit length) variables of chili. Although there was no significant difference in fruit weight per plant between control and OMS compositions, OMS application (M4) increased the yield of chili up to 25% from control. This finding affirmed that OMS is suitable for chili cultivation and can be used as a substitute for black-silver plastic mulch.
The plant nursery is an important cultivation phase to improve the quality of cocoa. However, the conventional nursery container namely polybag has the potential risk to contaminate the environment if the waste is wrongfully handled. A biodegradable pot (BioPot) is a satisfactory alternative nursery container considering its plantable and degradable characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the effect of BioPot compositions and size to support the growth of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) seedling as polybag substitution. This research was conducted using a randomized complete design with 1 control (polybag) and 15 treatments combination. The treatments consisted of 5 BioPot compositions (percentage of water hyacinth and banana pseudostem range from 30-70%) and 3 BioPot size (width 5,5 cm and length range from 10.5-11.5 cm). The seedling growth data were analyzed using ANOVA then by means using HSD (Tukey test) and Dunnet test at a 5%. The results showed that the several BioPot compositions and size produced equal seedling quality to polybag and not statistically different based on seedling growth variables. This finding confirmed that the all tested BioPot compositions and size in this study, customized and adjusted according to the raw aterials availability, can be used as polybag substitutes for cocoa nurseries. The implication of this study is the use of BioPot for seedling container that support environmentally sustainable agriculture especially in plant nurseries.
Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have become an important subject of research to increase maize production. The PGPB consortium should provide more benefits than single or dual inoculation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a PGPB consortium on improving maize growth and yield. The field experiment used a split-plot design. The main plot consisted of three maize varieties (Talenta, Pertiwi-3, and Bisma), and the subplot consisted of three formulations of PGPB consortia [endophytic bacteria isolates, <em>Acetobacter</em> sp., cellulolytic, and ligninolytic (F1); endophytic bacteria isolates<em>, </em><em>Azospirillum </em>sp., cellulolytic, and ligninolytic (F2); and endophytic bacteria isolates, cellulolytic, ligninolytic, <em>Acetobacter </em>sp., and <em>Azospirillum </em>sp. (F3)] and one control. PGPB consortia formulation did not influence maize growth significantly, but maize varieties did. Pertiwi-3 showed the highest value in all growth variables, followed by Bisma and Talenta, respectively. The effect of PGPB consortia formulation upon ear fresh and dry weight depends upon the maize variety, and Pertiwi-3 showed the highest value in yield variables. PGPB consortia formulation 2 was the most effective to apply for Pertiwi-3 cultivation, while PGPB consortia formulation 3 produced higher yields for Talenta and Bisma. These findings indicated that specific PGPB formula could improve the yield for specific maize varieties.
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